Vietnam War Activism
Recognized by the FBI as an "extremist and key activist," Camil was on President Nixon's "enemies list." On December 22, 1971, FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover sent a classified memo to the Jacksonville office regarding Camil, referring to him as an "extremely dangerous and unstable individual whose activities must be neutralized at earliest possible time." Other memos about Camil used the same word, neutralize, less ambiguously: "Jacksonville continue to press vigorously to insure (sic) that all necessary action taken to completely neutralize subject without delay." Camil explained, "When you pin the government down, they'll say 'Well, "neutralize" just means to render useless.' But if you talk to guys in the field, they say it means to kill." Indeed, Camil was eventually shot by FBI and-or DEA agents in 1974 in a drug entrapment sting, and nearly died.
Read more about this topic: Scott Camil
Famous quotes containing the words vietnam war, vietnam and/or war:
“No event in American history is more misunderstood than the Vietnam War. It was misreported then, and it is misremembered now.”
—Richard M. Nixon (b. 1913)
“Let us understand: North Vietnam cannot defeat or humiliate the United States. Only Americans can do that.”
—Richard M. Nixon (1913–1992)
“Tanks. In any normal war they’re a beautiful sight, on your side.”
—Richard Blake, and William Cameron Menzies. Col. Fielding (Millburn Stone)